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An Interview with Jennifer Kay, Gaspard Monge Visiting Professor
4/10TL;DR
Researchers from Europe, Japan, France, Canada, and the United States are using new EarthCARE satellite data to improve understanding of clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric processes critical to water, air quality, and climate science.
KEY POINTS
EarthCARE mission at the center
Scientists are working with observations from EarthCARE, a satellite launched in 2024 through a collaboration between Europe and Japan. The mission is designed to measure the atmosphere in ways that can sharpen understanding of cloud formation, precipitation, and interactions between the atmosphere, land, and ocean.
Long-running international cooperation
Collaboration in this field has been building for years, including ties formed in 2007 during an international workshop marking the arrival of early space-based atmospheric measurements. That work helped create a broader research community focused on using observations to better constrain atmospheric models.
Using observations to improve models
A major scientific goal is to connect satellite measurements directly to models of atmospheric processes. Researchers are seeking to reduce uncertainty in how clouds form and how precipitation develops, an important step for improving climate and weather prediction.
Workshop sparks new projects
A recent workshop brought together researchers from Japan, France, Canada, and the United States for a week of focused work. The gathering was designed to turn excitement over the new satellite observations into concrete progress, and it generated multiple new research projects.
Why clouds and precipitation matter
The work goes beyond basic physics. Better understanding of clouds and rainfall is tied to practical needs, including water resources, the quality of the air people breathe, and the broader functioning of the climate system.
Shared research culture
Scientists involved in the collaboration highlighted common values across French and American research environments, including scientific integrity, proper credit for earlier work, and strong emphasis on training the next generation. Collaborative methods were described as essential for producing results that no single team could achieve alone.
Local research environment adds momentum
Extended time in Paris and at a nearby ground-based observatory gave participants a closer look at on-site atmospheric measurements and the surrounding research ecosystem. The combination of observation facilities, long-form collaboration, and a culture focused on innovation, science, technology, and entrepreneurship was seen as a catalyst for future work.
CONCLUSION
The new EarthCARE data are giving atmospheric researchers a rare opportunity to link cutting-edge observations with international collaboration, with the aim of improving understanding of clouds, precipitation, and the environmental systems that societies depend on.
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